Always on the lookout for weird but multicultural stuff, I went through the schedule of Montreal Jazz Fest with a fine-tooth comb. Below, you will find my suggestions for this 2012 edition of the Festival. If you can’t attend all the shows, do like me, listen at least to the tracks on the Internet. You may discover your next album purchase in this post. Listen to my thoughts!..

North African music is never too far from my heart and I often feel to escape in the fine sands of the desert… Now that I have listened to Souad Massi songs, I understand why she’s called the « Tracy Chapman of Maghreb ». Her music is a mix of simplicity and meticulousness. She subtly incorporates pop and folk music into Arab rhythms. I suggest you read her interesting biography.

2. Osaka Monaurail : japanese funk (Saturday, July 7th)

I initially thought that Osaka Manaurail sang in Japanese. I then thought that funk sung in Japanese could be either surprisingly horrible or totally enchanting. However, after listening to few songs I realized they sing in English. It takes away the exotic side of it yet, their music is refined and entertaining! It reminds me of my childhood when my father would play his LPs of James Brown or other funk artists. So it’s worth the try!.

3. Paulo Ramos, Brazilian music (Friday, July 6th)

I am interested in Paulo Ramos not only because he is Brazilian but also because he is the 2011 Éval-Manigat Award winner for multicultural music. Never heard about this prize before but it shows that this singer deserves attention! He has lived in Montreal for the past 18 years and music allows him to preserve his cultural identity. His songs remind me of the some telenovela‘s theme songs. He is proud to sing that he is not from here (Quebec) but at the same time he is very much in love with Montreal!

4. BlackMahal : hiphop and panjabi music (Saturday, July 7th

BlackMahal style has nothing to with my favorite songs from Indian movies. I would describe it as hip-hop with some Punjabi spice added to it. It’s bizarre and yet it’s ingenious because the group is made of different artists who excel in their respective music styles. For instance, the band is constituted of Ustad Lal Singh Bhatti, a famous teacher and singer of Dholi (an instrument widely used in Punjabi music) and other artists who are hip-hop experts.

Wow, that’s lot of different style for just one band! According to the picture, this a multiracial band. Mind-blowing! I would be curious to see how they manage to make a song out of so many different genres. Personally, I found that their songs have more of an hip-hop vibe han anything else but I’m still impressed by so much diversity.

Unfortunately, I didn’t see Curumin’s show because I had to see Johnny Clegg’s performance, something I had been waiting for so long. Curumin is described as a « delicious combination of Spanish and Japanese roots ». It’s too bad he wasn’t scheduled for more than one performance. I’ll have to be content with listening to his music at home.

Obviously, there’s a lot of hip-hop in my suggestions. Heavy Soundz is made of 5 musicians and 5 MCs from Quebec and some hot countries: Salvador, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Peru and Guatemala. Another exquisite mix between latin beats and black music.

Download their albumTumba Parlantes from their official website (free)

Gypsy Roma is probably the weirdest mix and also one of the best. The band is made of 20 Serbians. I must admit my ignorance when it comes to traditional rom music. In any event, Gypsy Roma is a happy mess of tradition and modernity. Another interesting fact; the group was founded as a volunteer initiative to support the cause of Young Roms.